Christmas Eve is here

So, it is Christmas Eve.  We just ate a lunch of Bagel Bites and Oranges and Dr. Pepper.  That is a good Brockinton meal:)  I sat looking across the table, at my last kid to finish eating...
'just one more bite if you want a Christmas cookie'...  I see a beautiful little girl.  She is not a baby anymore.  She is gorgeous.  I have noticed it lately.  I remember back to a time when I was a teen shopping at a mall.  I always thought the little hispanic baby girls were so cute.  I thought I would love to have a little girl like that.  Well, I married an anglo and had two beautiful anglo children.  But God still gave me that gift.  Because I also have a beautiful hispanic daughter.  And she is just as much my daughter as Tori is.  I am thankful this Christmas Eve for my family.  My husband, my children, my extended family.  Family that has embraced us and supported us through this crazy journey to the mission field.  They are amazing.  They have extra dishes used, more utilities and lots more garbage because of taking us in.  But they do not complain.  Their homes are louder, busier, crazier, but they are just thankful to have this time with us.  And us with them.

Moving here is one step closer to the mission field.  Life on this side of Houston is different than the side we came from.  Life is different here in so many ways.  It is peaceful here.  My kids love playing outside.  Tori is taking piano lessons.  I am so proud of her.  She will do well.  Hopefully it is something we can continue in Belize.

A very special friend and her family come in 4 days.  I am so excited.  I actually saw them in March when we did our missions training, but we did not have our kids.  Kids change a lot in 18 months.  I can't wait to have them here...to laugh...to cry, whatever.  Just to enjoy good friends.  People have become more important to me in this transition.  I don't have a house to keep up with, things to buy for that house.  Life is simpler.  Of course it is temporary.  But it gives me time with people.  Its really cool.  Everyone should go through this.  You see things differently.  I pray what I see, I don't forget.  That I don't get too busy again.  That I am able to change my style of ministry...to see the people, not the things that need to get done.  I want to change from the Martha to the Mary.  Where I take that time to sit at Jesus' feet.  Somehow I lost that along the way of being a crazy busy pastor's wife..and missing service all the time to fill in for people who did not show up to help with the children.  I am not sure how, but I just don't want to get into that rut ever again.

Christmas is very different this year for us.  We are so focused on the move, the coming activities, the goodbyes, the hot weather:), that it just does not seem like Christmas is tomorrow.  It is a good, healthy different.  Because I am enjoying the people in my life.  And have more time to think about why we celebrate...God sent His Son for us...and because we love God, we want to take that message to Belizeans.  Not a message about a faraway God, but  a personal God, who loves them so intimately.  They can't even imagine.

Merry Christmas